You've hit the nail on the head, this is none other then a Great Cuban Clow, Bernardo Crespo. Kept us in stitches laughing in the alley with his pantomine. A nice guy and as funny out of the ring as in. First and foremost a nightclub entertainer in Cuba until he came to the states. He was a wonderful person.....Bernie
The pilot (also known as “The Lost Pilot” (a pilot episode is made as a test. If the powers that be like it, a series could develop) of I Love Lucy was filmed on March 2, 1951 as an audition episode with which to woo potential backers for the show. Desi and Lucy play Larry and Lucy Lopez in what was a rewrite of the vaudeville sketches the couple were doing in their nightclub act patched together with an old "My Favorite Husband" radio script (a lot of the first season episodes of I Love Lucy had similar points of origin).
In a story that will sound familiar as the years go by, Lucy is determined to break into show business and decides to replace the ailing clown, Pepito (Pepito Perez) in her husband's nightclub act by performing his cello gag.
It was shot on Desi's 34th birthday. Lucille Ball was pregnant at the time with Lucie Arnaz.
This pilot was never broadcast on television and thought lost until the man who played Pepito the Clown, Pepito Perez, who was given a reel of the pilot as a gift, passed away. When he died, this pilot was found (the story goes) under his bed.
CBS aired this pilot episode for the very first time on April 30, 1990. It has never been shown in re-runs or syndication. This episode does not feature Vivian Vance or William Frawley and was later refilmed as THE AUDITION.
I have read that Lucy and Desi were coached in this clown gag by Red Skelton and/or Buster Keaton when they did it in their nightclub act. I don’t know if Pepito Perez or Pat Moran who played “Buffo the Clown” in THE AUDITION coached them as well.
Buster Keaton coached Lucy on the cello bit, which was a copy of a routine Pepito performed as well.
Awhile back I was able to pick up few books and personal effects from Pepito's estate. His cello was for sale too, but priced wy out of my price range.
Yes, Pepito the Spanish Clown was a friend of Lucille's since 1936, and in 1942 when she introduced him to Desi, the two men hit it off and became fishing buddies. In 1950, they turned to Peptio, a former vaudeville superstar clown, to help them create a vaudeville routine to use to impress and convince the CBS brass to give them a show. Pepito played himself in the pilot of I Love Lucy and in episode 52 (Lucy's Show-Biz Swan Song). Please visit my website to learn more about this amazing vaudeville clown from the 1920s. www.PepitoAndJoanne.com
7 comments:
Is it Bernie Crespo(sp?)
-Greg
Greg:
You've hit the nail on the head, this is none other then a Great Cuban Clow, Bernardo Crespo. Kept us in stitches laughing in the alley with his pantomine. A nice guy and as funny out of the ring as in. First and foremost a nightclub entertainer in Cuba until he came to the states. He was a wonderful person.....Bernie
Mr.Lee,
Not to my knowledge. Bernardo could hardly speak any english and was not in this country for any length of time......Bernie
The pilot (also known as “The Lost Pilot” (a pilot episode is made as a test. If the powers that be like it, a series could develop) of I Love Lucy was filmed on March 2, 1951 as an audition episode with which to woo potential backers for the show. Desi and Lucy play Larry and Lucy Lopez in what was a rewrite of the vaudeville sketches the couple were doing in their nightclub act patched together with an old "My Favorite Husband" radio script (a lot of the first season episodes of I Love Lucy had similar points of origin).
In a story that will sound familiar as the years go by, Lucy is determined to break into show business and decides to replace the ailing clown, Pepito (Pepito Perez) in her husband's nightclub act by performing his cello gag.
It was shot on Desi's 34th birthday. Lucille Ball was pregnant at the time with Lucie Arnaz.
This pilot was never broadcast on television and thought lost until the man who played Pepito the Clown, Pepito Perez, who was given a reel of the pilot as a gift, passed away. When he died, this pilot was found (the story goes) under his bed.
CBS aired this pilot episode for the very first time on April 30, 1990. It has never been shown in re-runs or syndication. This episode does not feature Vivian Vance or William Frawley and was later refilmed as THE AUDITION.
I have read that Lucy and Desi were coached in this clown gag by Red Skelton and/or Buster Keaton when they did it in their nightclub act. I don’t know if Pepito Perez or Pat Moran who played “Buffo the Clown” in THE AUDITION coached them as well.
Buster Keaton coached Lucy on the cello bit, which was a copy of a routine Pepito performed as well.
Awhile back I was able to pick up few books and personal effects from Pepito's estate. His cello was for sale too, but priced wy out of my price range.
-Greg
Yes, Pepito the Spanish Clown was a friend of Lucille's since 1936, and in 1942 when she introduced him to Desi, the two men hit it off and became fishing buddies. In 1950, they turned to Peptio, a former vaudeville superstar clown, to help them create a vaudeville routine to use to impress and convince the CBS brass to give them a show. Pepito played himself in the pilot of I Love Lucy and in episode 52 (Lucy's Show-Biz Swan Song). Please visit my website to learn more about this amazing vaudeville clown from the 1920s. www.PepitoAndJoanne.com
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